F 128 
.47 
.T65 
Copy 1 



Jh 



^1/^ 



J 



THE 



128 


UNITED STATES 


47 


^ 


T65 




opy 1 


^^ THE 



PARTY. 



UNITED STATES DEMOCRACY 



a 



ITS RELIGION : 
"Peace and good will towards Men." 



i/' 



ITS PLATFORM : 
^ " The Union, The Constitution, and the Laws." 



ri'S MOTTO: 
"Not for ourselves, but for our Country." 




NEW- YORK : 

EDWARD a. KELLETT, PRINTER AND STATIONER. 
387 >^ Fourtli Are., Cor. 28th Street. 

1866. 



/ 



nz2 



OF THE 

Hon. THEO. E. TOMLINSON. 



Citizens of the United States : 

The great events that startle nations are not of 
instant growth. They spring from long hidden 
causes. 

The American Revolution had its sources in the 
past cenairies. 

All the struggles for liberty down to the Chris- 
tian Era which stamped civilization with divinity, 
and gave to it the hope of indefinite progress, con- 
tributed to Great Britain her Constitution ; to 
America her Republic. With war. Provinces, Col- 
onies, Confederations passed away. There re- 
mained no American Empire, Nation or Govern- 
ment but the United States of America. 

With civil commotion, Whig, Republican, Na- 
tive American parties have vanished, and there 
only exists the United States Democracy. United, 
represents the blessings of Union ; States, the 
glory of Sovereignty ; Democracy and America, 



the rule of the people ; their Empire, a Continent, 

Without true religion all things die. 

Nations, ^vith their material Gods, crumble to 
the dust that gives them birth, while the people, 
who listen to the thunders of Sinai, and accept the 
teachings of the Nazarene, for ever live. 

The platf(»rm, none stronger than the Constitu- 
tion, the Chart of freedom, embracing more than 
the beneficence of Mas^na Carta. 

Both holding fast to the great writ of right. 
Habeas Coi-pus, a writ that has been murdered, 
not snspended, in committing Citizens without ac- 
cusation, punishing them without trial, discharg- 
ing them without acquittal. 

The efFe3t of a suspension of the Habeas Cor- 
pus Act is not in itself to enable any one to im- 
prison suspected persons, ivithout giving any reason 
for so doing, but to prevent persons who are com- 
mitted upon certain charges from being bailed, 
tried or discharged during the time of suspen- 
sion. 

This it is which induces the absolute necessity 
of expressing upon every commitment the reason 
for which it is made, that the Court upon Habeas 
Corpus may examine into its validity, and ac- 
cording to the circumstances may discharge, 
admit to trial or remand the prisoner. For this 
Constitution and for us sovereigns there remains 
tlie solemn old oath and the terribly stern male- 
diction. In the 37th year of his reign, after 
several breaches and repeated confirmations of 
this Charter, King Henry III came to West- 
minister, where, in the presence of the nobility 
and bishops with lighted candles in their hands, 
Magna Carta was read ; the King all the while 
laying his hands on his breast, and at last 
olemnly swearing faithfully and inviolably to 



preserve all things therein contained, as he was 
a Man, a Christian, a Soldier, a KinLT. 

Then the Bishops extinguished the candles, 
threw them on the ground, and every one said. 
*' Thus let him be extinijuished and stink in hell 
-who violates this Charter." 

Self sacrifice in the camp, in the forum, in the 
congress, in the chair, is sole executive and repre- 
sentative of freedom pronounced in all humanities, 
from the hour that Curtius leaped into the Gulf, to 
the moment that Washington threw aside a crown. 

Each state is a sovereignty in all the powers 
that guard social, civil rights, those of home and 

the fireside. 

It exalts its sovereignty in the constitution by 
making " the duties," '' the commerce with foreign 
nations," "the money," "the post-office,' "the 
freedom in religion and speech and of the press," 
*' the right of habeas corpus, and of the people to 
keep and bear arms," ^nhe trial by jur>," "the 
guarantee of a Republican form of Government 
of one State," the right and obligation of all 
the States, which revolve not alone, in their awn, 
but in congregated glories. Said John Adams, 
thirteen yavemments thus founded on the natural 
authority of the people alone, without the pre- 
tence of miracle or mystery, are a great point 
gained in favor of the rights of mankind. The 
war that broke forth in the South did not originate 
with the people— thus testified General Lee. 
The same ambition that created devils, made 
sectional strife. Against bloody discord, Provi- 
dence extended peace with her lilies to the rulers, 
who crushed her beneath the heel of fanaticism. 
The people can have no happiness until all combi- 
nations that produce estrangement, antagonism, 
pollutions and oppressions, perish. 



By all the past, the present, the future, we are 
told as with the voice of inspiration, that the con- 
tinent is consecrated to freedom. 

It belongs as well to the emigrant, as to us. 
With welcome we extend to the exile, our civic 
crown. He leaves behind him monarchies and 
despotisms. There let them remain. By all our 
traditions they shall not, with intrigue aiid per- 
fidy, with arms and violence, stain or break, or stop 
the great Republic. The United States Democra- 
cy, while it cheers the Army and the Navy in the 
presence of the foreign dangers that are imminent, 
will not insult them with questions of partizan- 
ship. Their exalted record is interwoven with 
that of the whole Country 

Citizens of the United States ! of the North ! 
stand firm I of the South, come back ! *' In order 
to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, 
insure domestic tranquility, provide for the com- 
mon defence, promote the general welfare and se- 
cure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our 
posterity." 



RESOLUTIONS. 



Whereas — The Democracy of the City of New 
York has failed to accomplish its lofty aims by 
reason of the organizations that have perverted 
its patriotic purposes to personal aggrandizement ; 

By excluding the wise and good from its coun- 
cils ; 

By establishing a corrupt system of primarj^ 
elections, that deprived the people of their voice ; 

By conspiring with their common enemies, to 
secure public patronage ; 

By deluding their best friends to a common 
ruin ; 

By encouraging their adversaries to acts of 
encroachment and oppression ; 

By neglecting to use proper efforts to " make 
our union and brotherly affection perpetual ;" 

By refusing to " indignantly frown upon the 
first dawning of every attempt to alienate any 
portion of our country from the rest, or to en- 
feeble the sacred ties that linked together the 
various parts ;" 

By not proposing great measures of reform, 
either in City, State, or General Government ; 

By consenting to the usurpations of arbitrary 
power, and to the imposition of grievous burdens, 
oppressive taxes, and unnecessary offices ; 

By delaying to alarm the people of the danger 
of the invasion of the Continent by foreign 
Monarchies ai^ainst the traditions of the Country. 



8 

Now, therefore, we, the People assembled, or- 
dain the establishment of the 



"UNITED STATES DEMOCRACY." 

ITS RELIGION, 

Peace and good will towards men. 

ITS TLATFOEM, 

The Union, the Constitution and the Laws. 

ITS MOTTO, 

Not for ourselves, but for our Country. 

RESOLUTIONS. 

Resolved — That the object of the United States 
Democracy, is to secure its ascendancy as the 
means of restoring peace to the country, and one 
undivided Union of Constitutional Sovereignties 
on the Continent. 

Resolved — That we invite all good citizens to 
unite with us, and pledge anew the faith of our 
fathers, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred 
honor to preserve the country unbroken, and the 
Constitution inviolate. 

Resolved — That the cruelty and wickedness of 
sectional men, both at the North and the South, 
in goading citizens, who had no quarrel with one 
another, to exasperation and war, deserve the 
condemnation, and should receive the rebuke of 
an offended people. 



Resolved — That wc deprecate all combinations 
whose tendency is to estrange the people of the 
North from the people of the South. 

Resolved — That we are in favor of freedom in 
conscience, commerce and industrj^ and opposed 
to all oppressive, sumptuary and prohibitorj^ laws. 
Resolved — That, while giving to all the utmost 
opportunity, we are opposed to a forced and un- 
natural equalit)'^, believing that the continued im- 
provement of the highest, is the constant eleva- 
tion of the lowest race. 

Resolved— ThdX those who would cause, or in- 
stigate a war of races, are the most cruel foes of 
mankind. 

Resolved — That we encourage foreign emigra- 
tion, and extend to it welcome and citizenship. 

Resolved — That while it is the duty of the 
United States to cherish peace within and without 
its borders, still we regard the establishment of 
monarchies on this Continent, by foreign bayonets, 
as hostile to the " Monroe Doctrine," which we 
adopt, and trust that the conscience of the Nations 
will spare us its vindication by the dread arbitra- 
ment of war. 

Resolved — That while the Army and the Navy 
have challenged each other in brilliant rivalry of 
arms, they should not be insulted by the approach 
of political demagogues. We can safely, and with- 
out question, confide to them the glory of our 
country and the honor of our flag. 

Resolved — That we affectionately invite all the 
States, North, South, East and West, to call 
meetings of those of our faith, in their Counties 
and their Capitals, to unite with us in the majes- 
tic attempt to present to the Old World, the un- 
broken front of the New. 



10 



ADDRESS BY HON. THEO. E. TOMLINSON. 



Gentlemen : 

The United States party or Democrac}'^ is an 
Eclectic party. Eclectic, was a terra given to 
certain x^hilosopliers of antiquity who did not 
attach themselves to any particular sect, but se- 
lected from the opinions and principles of each, 
what they thought solid and good. 

Ours may be called an Eclectic Government. 

We appropriated all that w^as humane in De- 
mocracy, wise in Aristocracy and executive in 
Monarchy. Our representative government is the 
economy of Democracy. 

The Constitution was far in advance of the age 
in which it was established ; all petty jealousies, 
narrow sectionalisms were hushed, in the alarm 
and sufferings of war, and obscured in the shadow 
of the revolution. 

We have not, to this hour, grown up to the Con- 
stitution. We are sectarian and intolerant. The 
Constitution is the throne of Toleration. 

We do not directly elect a President, but Elec- 
tors, on the theory that they could best discrimi- 
nate for the public good. 

In the great City of New York, which should 
lead the countr}^, we have perverted elections by 
practically preventing the people from exercising 
discernment, discrimination and distinction, by 



11 

suppression of the public choice of offices, and 
3-ielding to the corrupt few, the rights of the peo- 
ple. 

" Corruption in elections, is the great enemy of freedom." 

J. ADAMS. 

By the present system of pretended Primary 
Elections, the worst men of the community are 
selected to subserve mercenaries in their attempts 
to secure public plunder, to which end legislation 
is so directed, that confiscation is treading on the 
heels of taxation. 

The Eclectic party selects the best of the 
Country. 

We desire no aid from hirelings. We ask the 
support of those who have an honest living. 

If the good cannot save the Republic it is not 
worth saving. 

We do not believe in assessing candidates for 
office. 

Let the poor have equal opportunities. We do 
not believe in the expenditure of money in elec- 
tions, except for the purposes recognized by law. 

While we have no claims on the " Pr3ss," we 
respectfully request their notice and criticism for 
our instruction and the enlightenment of the 
people. 

We have inaugurated a forlorn hope among the 
young men of the city, who will work solely for 
the public good, unterrified by menace or force. 

We trust that there are many in every State of 
the Union, who will aid in the establishment of a 
great and patriotic party. 

It is asserted, that at the South, those who were 
once Whigs, are the most earnest for re-construc- 
tion. Be it so ! 



12 

The old line Whigs and Democracy, should now 
unite. 

We care for the creed, not for the name. 

We cannot call ourselves the American party, 
for that name has been perverted, nor Republi- 
can, for it has been polluted. 

However much the Democracy may be stigma- 
tized, still it has survived the shock of section- 
alism, and gives the only sincere pledge of cor- 
dial re-union. 

It has been charged, that if the South is re- 
united, she will betray us. We have more faith 
in the honor of the soldier who renews his pledges 
to the Union, than we have in those who cloubtit. 

If the South will heed the counsels of the great 
City of New York, which amid the clash of arms, 
bleeding at every pore, has held fast to the Con- 
stitution, the United States Party will prevail, 
and any future attempt at disunion, will be de- 
graded to a fragile faction ; or should it assume 
great proportions, the necessities of humanity 
will extirpate the race in which it originated, 



14 



NEW- YORK CITY. 



In pursuance of the resolutions of the United 
States Democracy, we respectfully petition the 
Legislature of the State of New York, to appoint 
in its respective branches appropriate committees 
who will hear and discuss, among others, the fol- 
lowing questions of reform : — 

1st. Whether it is not best for the common- 
wealth to give to the City of New York, through 
its Corporation, the power to supply its citizens 
with Gas, giving to the workmen increased com- 
pensation, and making equitable adjustment with 
the stockholders. 

2d. Whether every Railroad and Ferry Compa- 
ny should not be compelled to contribute all the 
surplus over the dividend often (10) percent., to 
its Stockholders, to the accommodation of the 
public and the reduction of the fare, and whether 
a Railroad, if it is to be constructed through Broad- 
way, should not be under the supervision and con- 
duct of the Police. 

3d. Whether the Ward Courts should not be 
abolished, giving their jurisdiction to the Marine 
Court with increase of salaries. 

4th. Whether the Court of Common Pleas or 
the Superior Court should not be abolished. 

5ih. Whether a debtor on making an assign- 
ment of all his property for the benefit of cred- 



15 

itors should not for ever after be freed fromi 
' supplementary proceedings. 

6th. Whether the Board of Supervisors and the 
Office of Street Commissioner should not be 
abolished. 

7th. Whether the Offices of Corporation Attor- 
ney and Public Administrator should not be 
abolished, and two clerks be appointed in the de- 
partment of Corporation Counsel, with salaries not 
exceeding three thousand dollars each, contribu- 
ting their fees to the public treasury. 

8th. Whether the Corporation Counsel should 
not receive directly or indirectly more than ten 
thousand dollars a year for his services, contribu- 
ting all excess to the public treasury. 

9th, Whether the Battery should not be beauti- 
fied and appropriated as a public walk. 

10th. Whether a Sanitary Commission should 
not be appointed by the Mayor or elected by 
the people, who shall have power to impose their 
executive duty on the police of the city with in- 
creased salaries. 

11th. Whether all special Commissions should 
not be abolished, their duties to be performed by 
persons nominated by the Mayor and approved by 
the Board of Aldermen. 

12th. Whether the Streets should not be open- 
ed by act of legislature or Ordinance of Common 
Council without the appointment of Commission- 
ers. 

13th. Whether a plan of Sewerage and Street 
Cleaning should not be established for the whole 
City under the supervision, of a Sanitary Com- 
mission, a board of Surveyors and the Police 
Department. 

14th. Whether Free Public Baths should not be 
constructed. 



16 

15tli. Whether Free Halls should not be pro- 
vided for public meetings. 

16th. Whether a new system of finance with 
proper checks and balances should not be estab- 
lished. 

17th. Whether the Board of Councilmen should 
not be abolished. 



Gentlemen approving will please sign, with 
their address, and transmit to Theodore E. Tom- 
LiNSON, Masonic Hall, 114 & 116 East 13th St., 
New York City. 



18 



We subscribe to the address and platform of 
the United States Party, or United States De- 
mocracy, and will cheerfully unite with all, under 
whatever title, who will stand firm to the Consti- 
tution and the Union. 



19 



OR&ANIZATION. 



The plan is very simple — merely the enrollment 
of those who adopt the address and resolutions. 

Let some one inaugurate in each State an United 
States Democracy, or Party, to be called the U. S. 
Democracy or Party of the State of 

Also, a corresponding party in every county of 
his state ; to report to him who will report to the 
U. S. Democracy or Party in the City of New 
York, which represents the United States. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 221 707 7 



